Air Liquide Industrial U.S. LP announced the start up of an energy-efficient air separation unit (ASU) at its facility in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. The new production unit will enable Air Liquide to increase its supply of industrial gases to customers in the region. With the expansion of the Rancho Cucamonga plant, Air Liquide will roughly double the size of its workforce there by hiring nearly 30 new employees over the next 14 months. Over the last three years, approximately 150 construction jobs were created to build the new ASU. The new ASU produces liquid oxygen and nitrogen for a range of industries, including steel and oil and gas.

Air Liquide signed a contract with Posco E&C to design and build two large ASUs at Posco’s Gwangyang and Pohang sites in South Korea. The ASUs will each have an oxygen production capacity of 3,750 metric tons per day, making this the largest production capacity designed for a steelmaker by Air Liquide. The oxygen they produce will enable the Gwangyang site to support Posco’s increase in global steel production.